Preston



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MACHINE FOR STRBTGHING UPPERS.

. No. 350,467. Patented oet. 5, 1886.

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Patented Oct. 5, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT F. PRESTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PRESTON MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR STRETC'HING UPPERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350.467, dated October 5, 1886. Application tiled February 15, 1886. Serial No. 192,000. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. PRESTON, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in YMachines for Stretching Uppers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts. l

The object of this invention is to construct a .machine for shaping the uppers of boots and shoes at the shank portion preparatory to lasting the same, to facilitate the lasting opera tion, and to insure a better lit ofthe boot or shoe about the shank portion of the foot of the wearer.

In accordance with this invention a clamp or pair of jaws is provided to grasp and hold the upper a short distance from its edge, and a series of grippers arranged diagonally with relation to each other, but in the same horizontal plane, are employed to grasp the edge of the upper, said gri ppers being constructed and arranged to be moved in the same horizontal plane, but diagonally with relation to each other, to pull and stretch the upper at the shank portion as it is held by the upperholding clamp. A series of hammers are also provided, which automatically rise as the grippers are drawn backward from the upperholding jaw, and which are tripped to strike the upper near its edge at the limit of the backward movement of the grippers, the upper at this time being stretched to the desired extent, thereby giving to the upper while stretched a permanent set.77

' Thelinvention consists, essentially, of an upper-holding clamp or jaw to grasp the upper a short distance from its edge, combined with a series of diagonally-arranged grippers to grasp the edge of the upper, and means, substantially as will be described, for moving said grippers diagonally with relation to each other, but in the same horizontal plane, to thereby stretch or shape the upper at a given point;

. also, of an upper-holding clamp or jaw to grasp the upper a short distance from its edge, aseries of diagonally-arranged grippers to grasp the edge of the upper, and means, substantially as will be described, for moving said grippers diagonally with relation to each other, but in the same horizontal plane, combined with a series of hammers to strike the face of the upper when the grippers arrive at their extreme rearward position, to thereby give to the upper apermanent set, substantially as will be described.

Figure l represents in side elevation a machine for stretching the uppers of boots and shoes and constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2, a top or plan view thereof; Fig. 3,"a longitudinal section of Fig. 2, taken on the dotted line wx,- Fig. 4, a cross-section of Fig. 3, taken on the dotted line yy,- and Fig. 5, an under side view of Fig. 2.

The base-plate A, upright or standard B,

and frame-workl or head C are all of suitable construction to support the working parts of the machine.

The shank portion ofthe upperto be stretched by the machine herein to be described is clamped at a point a short distance from its edge by a pair of jaws, a c', preferably having yielding bearingsurfaces a2, to prevent marring the leather; or it may be a yielding top surface and a corrugated bottom surface. The upper jaw, c', havinga curved shank, as shown at a", to overhang the parts which operate upon the surface of the material at the edge, is attached to a slide-bar, as, moving upon the top or bed plate, D, of the machine, said slidebar being normally retained in its forward position by springs a a9, connected to each side therefor and to the bed-plate D. A stud or pin, 2, projects from the upper side of the lslidebar a, which, when the springs t9 a9 are retracted, strikes against a cross-bar, e, extending across the rear portion of the head of the machine, thereby limiting the forward movement of the said slide-bar. The extreme rear side of the slide-bar is connected to an arm, c, projecting from a rock-shaft, d, by a link, am, so that as said rock-shaft d is rotated the slidebar a8 and its attached jaw a are reciprocated. The bed-plate D is provided with an elongated slot or recess, 25, at a point beneath the slide-bar as, to permit the passage of a downwardly-extended arm, b, attached to the said slide-bar.

a suitably-extended shank, aaypassing beneath the bed-plate D of the head of the machine,is pivotedto the downwardly-extended arm b The lower jaw, a, having AIOO by a pin, a4, so that as the slide-bar reciprocates thelower j aw, a., is carried with it. The eXtreme end of the shank a3 of the lower jaw, a, is connected to a treadle, E, by a rod, ai", depression of the treadle E causing the lower j aw, a, to rise against the tension of the retractingspring a6. rlhe arm c of the rockshaft is also connected with said treadle E by a connectingrod, c, thereby insuring a simultaneous sliding and clamping movement of the pair of jaws a a. Suitable friction-rolls, e2, turn up on journals extending from each side of the arm b at its lower end, which rolls bear upon the under side of the bed-plate D. The grippers which grasp the edge of the upper (herein ward through the cross-bar e5.

shown as four in number) are located two upon each side of the jaws a a', and consist of a lower jaw, f, pivoted to a slidebar, f', which latter serves as the upper jaw and bears upon the top of the bed-plate D. The said sliding jaws f are each arranged diagonally with relation to the other, or fan-like, as shown best in Fig. 2, so that the pair of grippers upon each side of the jaws a a will pull upon the upper in lines radiating from a common een ter, which radial lines pass through the biting-faces of the jaws a a', as designated by the dotted lilies, Fig. 2, previous to converging. The lower jaws, f, of the grippers, pivoted to the sliding jaws f by pins 5, are each provided with an upwardlyextending arm, f, which latter are connected by links f7 to arms f8, attached to the rockshaft d. The rock-shaft d is hung and adapted to be rocked in brackets d', extended from the bed-plate D. As the rock-shaft d is rotated, the arms f8 first cause the pivoted jaws f to grip the material, and as the rock-shaft is further rotated the sliding jaws f are caused to move rearwardly from the holding-jawsaa', and diagonally with relation to each other, but in the same horizontal plane. The sliding jaws f are guided in their passage by recesses cut in the under side of the cross-bars e and e5, through which the said jaws pass, the said cross-bars e e being bolted to the bed-plate D by any suitable bolts. The sliding jaws are each provided with suitable stops or pins, 3 4, which are located so as to strike against opposite sides of the cross-bar e, limiting the backward and forward movement of the said jaw, and to facilitate the passage of the said jaws f f to and fro suitable friction-rolls, f2, are provided, which rotate upon pivots f3, passing down- The diagonal- 1jr-arranged grippers are each of suitable length, so that in their normal position their biting-faces lie in a line substantially parallel with the holding-jaws a a', so that they may all grip simultaneously the edge of the material, which is usually straight. These grippers are each independently connected to an arm attached to the rock-shaft d, which is also parallel with the biting-faces of the grippers while in their normal positions, and by the di agonal or fan-like arrangement of the grippers, as described, the rock-shaft, as it is rof. The upper having been grasped by they jaws a a. and stretched to the desiredv extent by the grippersff, it has been found desirable to give .to it, while held in such condition, a permanent set, thereby obviating the necessity of stretching the same sufficiently to compensate for the elasticity of the leather when released. This I have accomplished, in this instance, bya series of hammers, n, (shown as three in number and located alternately with the grippers,) the said `hammers having rear- -wardly-extended shanks n,which are connectedtogetner by cross-pieces m, (shown as broken off in Fig. 2,) thus forming a frame carrying the hammers, which is pivoted or hinged to the cross-bar e, that it may rise or fall. The hammers n normally bear upon anvilpieces a, (see Fig. 5,) which project suiiiciently from the bed-plate D, to which they are attached, that they will lie in line with the grippers when the latter are in their extreme rearward position. Camblocks ai are attached to opposite sides of the two interior sliding jaws, f', while suitable fingers, n, are pivoted to the frame carrying the hammers n, so that as the sliding jaws f are moved backward the cam-blocks n3, bearing against the nger n, cause the frame carrying the hammers to rise. The cam-block u is of such length that when the sliding jaw f arrives at its extreme rearward position the finger n passes over the same, permitting the hammers to fall upon the surface of the material, thereby giving to the said material a permanent set. The sliding jawf then returning to its normal position, the finger n, which is pivoted, recedes over the cam-block a". The rock-shaft d, rotated by the treadle E, as described, is returned to its normal position by suitable springs, d10, attached tothe said rock-shaft near each end and to the framework C.

The entire operation may be brieiiy stated as follows: The operator, placing an upper bctween the jaws a a', and sufficiently far to enter the grippers, depresses the treadle E, when the jaws a a and grippers will grip-the material, the jaws a receding slightly. As the treadle is further depressed, the diagonally arranged grippers are moved backward, and the jaws a a,while holding the upper, are also moved backward, but to a somewhat less eX- tent, only sufficient to prevent the leather being torn. During this backward movement the hammers are automatically raised, as described. Vhen the grippers arrive at their extreme rearward position, the hammers fall TIO and permanently set the material, and the treadle E is then released, that the upper may be removed. 5

By the machine herein described an upper (previously soaked to render the same pliable) is stretched at the shank portion sufficiently in the arc of a circle about a definite point, as described, to permit the same to be lasted with facility, and also to insure a better fit of the shoe, and by the arrangement of the grippers the usual seam at the shank portion is not ripped, as the inside grippers pull uponV the upper on the interior radial lines, and by the construction of the grippers herein described,while firmly holding the leather, they do not mar or abrade the same in any way.

It is obvious that, 'if desired, thelink al may be omitted and weak springs a employed, in which case the upper-holdingjaws a a will be moved back as the upperispulled by thegrippers.

The rods e a5 may, if desired, be connected with any suitable powerAdriven motor without departing from this invention.

I claiml. In a machine for stretching the upper of a boot or shoe, the movable clamp to grasp and hold the upper at a point some distance from its edge, combined with a series of grippers to grip the upper at the edge, and means, substantially as described, for moving both the upper-holding clamp and grippers rearwardly, but for different distances, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for stretching the upper of a boot or shoe, the clamp to grasp and hold the upper at a point some distance from its edge, combined with a series .of grippers arranged diagonally wit-h relation to each other, as described, to grip the upper at the edge, and means, substantially as described, for simultaneously moving both the upper-holding clamp and grippers rearwardly, but for different respective distances, all as set forth.

3. ln a machine for stretching the upper of a boot or shoe, the movable clamp to grasp and hold the upper at a point some distance from its edge, the series of diagonally-moving grippers to graspy the upper at the edge, and means, substantially as described, for simultaneously moving the said upper holding clamp and grippers rearwardly, but for different respective distances, combined with a series of hammers constructed and arranged, substantially as described, to beat the said upper when the grippers are in their rearward position, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a machine for stretching the upper of a boot or shoe, the sliding jaw a and pivoted jaw a, the diagonally-arranged sliding jaws f and pivoted jaw f, combined with rock-shafts, arms projecting therefrom in different directions, link al", and 'rods fl, respectively connecting the upper-holding jaws ct a and the jawsff with said arms, and means, substantially as described, for operating said rockshai't, all substantially as described.

5. In a machine for stretching the upper of a boot or shoe, the upper-holding clamp ct a kand grippers f f and means, substantially as described, for moving them, combined with a series of hammers, and means, substantially as described, for automatically raising and dropping said hammers as the grippers are moved, and the anvil-blocks n2, all substantially as described.

6. In a machine for stretching the upper of a boot or shoe, the upper-holding clamp a a', the grippers consisting of the pivoted jawf and the sliding jaw f, said grippers being arranged diagonally, as described, and being 'of f varying lengths, whereby the acting faces of the grippers may lie in a line substantially parallel with the upper-holding clamp in their normal position, but to gradually assumean arc of a circle as they are moved, combined with a rock-shaft, and means, substantially as described, connecting said grippers with they rock-shaft, whereby they are simultaneously moved, all substantially as described.

7. In a machine for stretching the upper of abootor shoe, the yielding or movable clamp to grasp and hold the upper at a point some distance from its edge, combined with a series of grippers to grip the upper at the edge, and means, substantially as described, for moving said grippers rearwardly, substantially as described. Y

8. In a machine for stretching the upper of a boot or shoe, the yielding or movable clamp "to grasp and hold the upper at a point some distance from its edge, combined with a series of grippers arranged diagonally with relation to each other, as described, to grip the upper at the edge, and means, substantially as described, for moving said grippers rearwardly, all as set forth.

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT F. PRESTON'.

IOO Y IIO 

